Dave Heller, TCA Vice President of Government Affairs, and Kathryn Pobre, TCA Manager of Government Affairs
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There are many hot-button issues in the U.S. press right now, but the one which may have the greatest impact for the entirety of North America is the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). This trade agreement, intended to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), is currently stalled in both the U.S. Congress and Canadian Parliament, while Mexico took the lead in approving it first.
Critics of the deal cite issues with labor protections, environmental protections, a perceived over-emphasis on supporting large pharmaceutical companies at the expense of patients, and weak enforcement mechanisms as the reasons for delaying its passage.
While the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has been monitoring the debate over USMCA for the past several months, this is just one of many issue areas for which the average person could be confused given the current state of affairs in cross-border regulations.
In our ongoing efforts to educate our members on legislative and regulatory efforts in both Canada and the U.S., TCA will once again be presenting the Bridging Border Barriers (BBB) event to facilitate discussion and learning. This year’s event will be held on November 20 in Brampton, Ontario. BBB is free and all for-hire carriers, regardless of TCA membership, are welcome to attend.
TCA is encouraged that the USMCA has recently received renewed focus from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in the U.S., as ratification could potentially occur before the end of 2019. This is why we urge you to participate in BBB in November, hear about this and many other key issues for our industry, and share your knowledge with your partners across the border.
Although new guidance on mask wearing returns the industry to some semblance of normalcy after over a year of lockdowns and restrictions, employers should remain cautious in revising policies.
While Texans are accustomed to living life free of excessive state-level taxes, they were in for a shock when their own U.S. Senator, Republican John Cornyn, used his national platform to advocate for the establishment of a truck-only vehicle miles traveled tax.
As we discuss ways to improve the sales relationship between carrier and shipper, the term “commodity” always comes up. Most carriers feel being a commodity diminishes the services they provide. It doesn’t have to be that way.
The nation’s top trucking research group plans to update previous studies on the effects of legalized marijuana and other drugs on truck safety along with integrating 18- to 20-year-old drivers into the industry.
Throughout the entire 90-year history of trucking in the United States, excessive detention has been a scourge on the industry. An upcoming 90-minute immersive workshop will share tools and strategies to combat this issue and keep the wheels moving and profitable.
While a request for Supreme Court review of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision to overturn an injunction banning enforcement of California’s AB5 will almost certainly follow, at this time, motor carriers who operate in California must be prepared to act in accordance with AB5.
The word “safety” is everywhere in the trucking industry. It is talked about nearly every day in the press, Congress has zeroed in on it, and most carriers will say that it is their top priority. With all this attention, it’s easy to believe that safety has become cliché. But it’s not.
A day after Colonial Pipeline said there was light at the end of the tunnel for the line’s closure due to a cyberattack, the impact of the shutdown on the ground is being felt.
Truck drivers and fleets have two months to prepare for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual Operation Safe Driver Week, which is set for July 11-17. Here is what inspectors will be looking for.
